Thirty Seconds
by Plantty
Summary: The Ferrets have made it to the Pro-Bending championship! When they have lost round one and both Mako and Bolin are out, can Korra pull them through? Takes place after episode 2.
1. Chapter 1

*Thirty Seconds*

The bright spotlight focused on the Pro-Bending ring. A circular platform raised out of the middle, bringing an announcer with it. He raised his arm quickly and brought the microphone up to his face. He pointed to his left, the red side of the ring.  
"Introducing the Fire Ferrets!"  
Loud screams and cheers rang out from the stands high above the players.  
"Kya~! I love you Bolin!" "Let's go Mako!" and other various cries were heard.  
"Remeber, knock the players off the BACK of the ring." Mako told Avatar Korra as they waved to the crowds. The announcer introduced the other team.  
"Aaaand, on the other side of the ring, the Ferret's opponents, the RABBIROOS!" The announcer said, throwing his hand to his right, the blue half of the ring. Fan's cries were still heard, although none stood out as much as the ones for Mako and Bolin. There was no clear fan favorite-yet.  
The teams set up with their Firebender in the middle, Earthbender to the right and Waterbender to the left. Mako again instructed Korra:  
"Don't do anything stupid, like last time. This one is for the championship, don't forget that."  
"I'll be FINE!" Korra replied angrily. The teams took up their fighting stances. The announcer went back under the floor.  
"Ready?" his voice was heard over the loudspeaker. A bell rang. "GO!"  
Mako instantly punched a fireball at the opposing Earthbender, and Bolin followed with an Earth disc, knocking him back into zone two. Meanwhile, Korra was blocking flames from the Rabbiroo's Firebender, and shooting water whips at the Waterbender.  
"Help?" she called to Bolin and Mako, who weren't _REALLY_ celebrating the other player's loss, but we're still concentrating on him, leaving Korra two-on-one. Soon enough, it became too much and Korra was knocked back a zone.  
"Korra?" Mako asked, glancing over his shoulder for a quick second, then realizing what had happened while turning back to the battle. "Sorry!" he called over his shoulder.  
"Don't worry about it, just fight!" Korra yelled back, and Mako winced. She was right. Korra was still intent on knocking back the other team's Firebender. She brought a larger gush of water than she had been using for her whips and shoved him back to zone two. Only the Waterbender was still in Zone one. Mako focused on him while Bolin and Korra used defense and protected both themselves and Mako from incoming attacks. Eventually, Bolin had had enough. He took a disc and threw it at the Waterbender. Mako got the hint and followed up with a few quick fire blasts. The buzzer sounded: the Fire Ferrets got the OK to move into Rabbiroo territory. Korra advanced back to the Ferret's zone One and began again. She was quickly targeted and most of the attacks were falling on her, she was growing weaker and weaker with every attack she was getting, and she knew it. So suddenly, when a triple attack came her way, both the announcer and Mako yelled  
"She'd better watch out for that one!" and "KORRA!"  
But Korra was too late. The Rabbiroo's tactic of wearing the Avatar out and then knocking her off the ring worked. The combined power of water, earth, and firebending flew Korra up in the air and she catapulted off the back of the ring, tumbling into the water.  
"Idiot," Mako muttered under his breath. Bolin swear dropped as he glanced at Mako.  
Without Korra, the Fire Ferrets were slowing down. Both Mako and Bolin were knocked into their zone one again before the buzzer sounded, ending the round.  
"Round One goes to the Rabbiroos!" The announcer said as the scoreboard lit up blue. Korra re-entered the ring and they got into fighting stances.  
"Sorry about last round," She apologized, mainly to Mako, who she knew would be furious. He only sighed.  
"Well, do better this round."  
"Round Two... BEGIN!" a bell sounded and Bolin immediately threw an Earth disc at the Rabiroo's Waterbender. He stumbled and the line between zones one and two lit up red.  
"Wow, the Rabbiroo's Waterbender is already in Zone two, folks! This is going to be an interesting round."  
Mako bent a fireball at the Earthbender, but he only used a disc to block it. Korra was whipping the Firebender. Suddenly, there were two buzzes from the zone lines. None of the Rabbiroos were off the back, neither was Mako...  
Bolin was gone.  
A splash was heard before the announcer proclaimed Bolin's decent off the ring. Mako sighed.  
"Why does someone ALWAYS get knocked off?" he asked Korra, still focused on the match.  
"No clue... WATCH OUT!" she screamed as an earth disc hit Mako and fire was thrown at him, shooting him back to zone three.  
"WHAT?" he screamed, but a water whip was fast approaching. There was nothing he could do, no time to dodge...  
The water was immediately redirected by Korra and re-used against the opposing Firebender.  
"Is that against the rules?" "She wasn't penalized..." "Shouldn't that be a foul?" People argued in the stands.  
The Firebender was now in zone Two, but Mako was in Zone three, Bolin out and the Rabbiroo's Waterbender was in Their zone one and so was Korra.  
Mako was helping all he could- which wasn't very much from zone Three. An earth disc flew towards him, seemingly out of nowhere-  
Mako flew out of the ring.  
He screamed as he came up from the water, certain they were going to lose.  
But Korra wouldn't let that happen.  
Slowly, cheers for her grew audible and Korra broke out into a huge smile. Her adrenaline rushed and she was ready to fight.  
"Avatar Korra! Avatar Korra!" the fans heard themselves saying. Even the Rabbiroo supporters were surprised to find themselves jumping up and joining in.  
First Korra took care of the Earthbender- using repeated whips steadily forced him off the back of the ring. The Waterbender was slightly more difficult: they could disband most of Korra's attacks. She dodged the Firebender and sent a quick stream of water to the Rabbiroo's face, then hit him with many water whips and he too went toppling off the edge.  
"Fire Ferret: Advance to Rabiroo Zone One!" the announcer cried, getting excited. Korra advanced, and the clock started again. Mako looked at it, worried.  
He could only hope that thirty seconds was enough time.

Me: How do you like this story? All characters belong to Nickelodeon, but I own the story. If something similar happens in a future episode I'm sorry! :(  
Going to add one more chapter to this, hopefully tomorrow. Look forward to it!  
-Plantty


	2. Chapter 2

**Thirty Seconds- chapter 2**

Korra knew she disn't have much time to knock the lone firebender off the back of the ring. But she wasn't afraid. After all, Mako had done it before, why couldn't she?

All these thoughts raced through her head as she sent whip after whip of water to the firebender. None of her attacks were making contact, and she was constantly dodging to avoid the fire blasts coming her way, just as Mako would have done. That was when she realized. Mako was the key to this! All she had to do was fight as she would fight Mako...

Below the ring, Mako grimaced. She was never going to make it! He had always known that Korra would ruin their shot at winning-

"But wait! The Avatar has pushed him back to Zone Three!" the announcer suddenly called, making Mako go stiff. Could she really do it?

Bolin was already cheering for her. It blended in with the crowd's calls and went unnoticed.

"KORRA! YOU CAN DO IT!" Mako screamed at the top of his lungs. His heart was beating- ten seconds.

Korra heard Mako's call and was amazed. Why was Mako, of all people, cheering her on? She would have thought he would have been sulking in the locker room by now, but he had actually stayed to watch. A newfound strength came out of nowhere: she bent a gush of water straight at the firebender's face. He toppled over the back of the ring, having lost his balance-

The buzzer sounded just as his feet left the stadium floor.

Mako stood in shock. Bolin was cheering and laughing wildly along with the crowd. Had they really just won the championship?

Korra couldn't do anything. She was frozen, stiff as a board, for 2 minutes. The referees reviewed the last few seconds, discussing them as she stood, unmoving. Just as they finished, she broke out of her daze and glanced at the scoreboard anxiously. Had she run out of time?

The first section of the scoreboard still proudly shine blue. It proclaimed that the Rabbiroos had won the Round One.

The second section read 'Round Two' and slowly, almost shakily, lit up red. Korra gasped. She had won the round?

The third section, entitled 'Knockout,' also started to glow red. Bolin froze, finally coming to the realization of what had happened...

The last section of the scoreboard read 'Winner.' As soon as it started to glow, the crowds went silent. She had really done it.

Avatar Korra had won the Pro-Bending Championship.

Mako and Bolin jumped on the elevator that would take them up to the ring to see their friend. When Mako dashed onto the ring, Bolin not far behind, he scooped her up and hugged her so tight she thought she was going to die.

"Mako?" she whispered.

"Thank you, Korra." he answered back, putting her down. "I'm sorry for doubting you before. You really are a skilled waterbender."

"I'm sorry too, for getting so mad at you," she replied. "Friends?" Korra stuck out her hand for Mako to shake.

"Friends." Mako agreed, shaking her hand. Bolin cheered and waved and Korra picked both the bending brothers up in a big hug.

"It was thanks to you guys," she said. "Thank you so much, both of you!" the trio burst out into a fit of wild laughter and walked off the ring, arm in arm.

Only later did Mako notice how focused she could be, how her bright blue eyes sparkled and glittered with joy when she won, how beautiful she really was when she wasn't off protecting the world.

And after that, even if he refused to admit it, he saw Korra in a whole new way.

She wasn't just the strict Avatar, never afraid, challenging everyone she met.

She was kind and easygoing, fun and lighthearted.

He would never forget.

-x-

**I finished! I hope you enjoyed my story, even of it didn't have a super gushy ending or fluff, at all :P**

**Korra, Mako, Bolin and all other characters from the show belong to Mike, Bryan and Nickelodeon. Can't wait for episode 3 tomorrow! Again, if something similar happens later on it was a councidence... PLEASE DON'T GET MAD AT ME D:**

**Have a great day/evening/night!**

**~Plantty**


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